anging　over　him　by　a　hair！
  Soon　matters　approached　a　crisis；　several　large　drafts　were　drawn；　which　would　have　cleaned　the　bank　out；　but　that　the　yearly　rents　of　a　wealthy　nobleman　had　for　some　days　past　been　flowing　in。　This　nobleman　had　gone　to　explore　Syria　and　Assyria。　He　was　a　great　traveller；　who　contrived　to　live　up　to　his　income　at　home；　but　had　never　been　able　to　spend　a　quarter　of　it　abroad；　for　want　of　enemies　and　mastersbetter　known　as　friends　and　servantsto　help　him。　So　Hardie　was　safe　for　some　months；　unless　there　should　be　an　extraordinary　run　on　him；　and　that　was　not　likely　this　year；　the　panic　had　subsided；　and；　_nota　bene；_　his　credit　had　never　stood　higher。　The　reason　was；　he　had　been　double…faced；　had　always　spoken　against　railways：　and　his　wise　words　were　public；　whereas　his　fatal　acts　had　been　done　in　the　dark。
  But　now　came　a　change；　a　bitter　revulsion；　over　this　tossed　mind：　hope　and　patience　failed　at　last；　and　his　virtue；　being　a　thing　of　habit　and　traditions　rather　than　of　the　soul；　wore　out；　nay　more；　this　man；　who　had　sacrificed　so　nobly　to　commercial　integrity；　was　filled　with　hate　of　his　idol　and　contempt　of　himself。　〃Idiot！〃　said　he；　〃to　throw　away　a　fortune　fighting　for　honoura　greater　bubble　than　that　which　has　ruined　meinstead　of　breaking　like　a　man；　with　a　hidden　purse；　and　starting　fair　again；　as　sensible　traders　do。〃
  No　honest　man　in　the　country　that　year　repented　of　his　vices　so　sincerely　as　Richard　Hardie　loathed　his　virtue。　And　he　did　not　confine　his　penitence　to　sentiment：　he　began　to　spend　his　days　at　the　bank　poring　over　the　books；　and　to　lay　out　his　arithmetical　genius　in　a　subtle　process；　that　should　enable　him　by　degrees　to　withdraw　a　few　thousands　from　human　eyes　for　his　future　use；　despite　the　feeble　safeguards　of　the　existing　law。　In　other　words；　Richard　Hardie；　like　thousands　before　him；　was　fabricating　and　maturing　a　false　balance…sheet。
  One　man　in　his　time　plays　many　animals。　Hardie　at　this　period　turned　mole。　He　burrowed　darkling　into　_oes　alienum。_　There　is　often　one　of　these　sleek　miners　in　a　bank：　it　is　a　section　of　human　zoology　the　journals　have　lately　enlarged　on；　and　drawn　the　painstaking　creature　grubbing　and　mining　away　to　brief　opulenceand　briefer　penal　servitude　than　one　could　wish。　I　rely　on　my　reader　having　read　these　really　able　sketches　of　my　contemporaries；　and　spare　him　minute　details；　that　possess　scarcely　a　new　feature；　except　one：　in　that　bank　was　not　only　a　mole；　but　a　mole…catcher；　and；　contrary　to　custom；　the　mole　was　the　master；　the　mole…catcher　the　servant。　The　latter　had　no　hostile　views；　far　from　it：　he　was　rather　attached　to　his　master。　But　his　attention　was　roused　by　the　youngest　clerk；　a　boy　of　sixteen；　being　so　often　sent　for　into　the　bank　parlour；　to　copy　into　the　books　some　arithmetical　result；　without　its　process。　Attention　soon　became　suspicion；　and　suspicion　found　many　little　things　to　feed　on；　till　it　grew　to　certainty。　But　the　outer　world　was　none　the　wiser：　the　mole…catcher　was　no　chatterbox；　he　was　a　solitary　manno　wife　nor　mistress　about　him；　and　he　revered　the　mole；　and　liked　him　better　than　anything　in　the　world_except　money。_
  Thus　the　great　banker　stood；　a　colossus　of　wealth　and　stability　to　the　eye；　though　ready　to　crumble　at　a　touch；　and　indeed　self…doomed；　for　bankruptcy　was　now　his　game。
  This　was　a　miserable　man；　far　more　miserable　than　his　son；　whose　happiness　he　had　thwarted：　his　face　was　furrowed　and　his　hair　thinned　by　a　secret　struggle；　and　of　all　the　things　that　gnawed　him；　like　the　fox；　beneath　his　Spartan　robe；　none　was　more　bitter　than　to　have　borrowed　five　thousand　pounds　of　his　children　and　sunk　it。
  His　wife's　father；　a　keen　man　of　business；　who　saw　there　was　little　affection　on　his　side；　had　settled　his　daughter's　money　on　her　for　life；　and　in　case　of　her　death；　on　the　children　upon　coming　of　age。　The　marriage　of　Alfred　or　Jane　would　be　sure　to　expose　him；　settlements　would　be　proposed；　lawyers　engaged　to　peer　into　the　trust；　&c。　No；　they　_must_　remain　single　for　the　present；　or　else　marry　wealth。
  So；　when　his　son　announced　an　attachment　to　a　young　lady　living　in　a　suburban　villa；　it　was　a　terrible　blow；　though　he　took　it　with　outward　calm；　as　usual。　But　if；　instead　of　prating　about　beauty；　virtue；　and　breeding；　Alfred　had　told　him　hard　cash　in　five　figures　could　be　settled　by　the　bride's　family　on　the　young　couple；　he　would　have　welcomed　the　wedding　with　great　external　indifference；　but　a　secret　gush　of　joy；　for　then　he　could　throw　himself　on　Alfred's　generosity；　and　be　released　from　that　one　corroding　debt；　perhaps　allowed　to　go　on　drawing　the　interest　of　the　remainder。
  Thus；　in　reality；　all　the　interests　with　which　this　story　deals　converged　towards　one　point：　the　fourteen　thousand　pounds。　Richard　Hardie's　opposition　was　a　mere　misunderstanding；　and　if　he　had　been　told　of　the　Cash；　and　to　what　purpose　Mrs。　Dodd　destined　it；　and　then　put　on　board　the　_Agra_　in　the　Straits　of　Gaspar；　he　would　have　calmly　taken　off　his　coat；　and　help　to　defend　the　bearer　of　It　against　all　assailants　as　stoutly；　and；　to　all　appearance；　imperturbably；　as　he　had　fought　that　other　bitter　battle　at　home。　For　there　was　something　heroic　in　this　erring　man；　though　his　rectitude　depended　on　circumstances。
  CHAPTER　IX
  THE　way　the　pirate　dropped　the　mask；　showed　his　black　teeth；　and　bore　up　in　chase；　was　terrible：　so　dilates　and　bounds　the　sudden　tiger　on　his　unwary　prey。　There　were　stout　hearts　among　the　officers　of　the　peaceable　_Agra_；　but　danger　in　a　new　form　shakes　the　brave；　and　this　was　their　first　pirate：　their　dismay　broke　out　in　ejaculations　not　loud　but　deep。　〃Hush；〃　said　Dodd　doggedly；　〃the　lady！〃
  Mrs。　Beresford　had　just　come　on　deck　to　enjoy　the　balmy　morning。
  〃Sharpe；〃　said　Dodd；　in　a　tone　that　conveyed　no　suspicion　to　the　new…comer；　〃set　the　royals　and　flying　jib。Port！〃
  〃Port　it　is；〃　cried　the　man　at　the　helm。
  〃Steer　due　south！〃　And；　with　these　words　in　his　mouth；　Dodd　dived　to　the　gun…deck。
  By　this　time　elastic　Sharpe　had　recovered　the　first　shock；　and　the　order　to　crowd　sail　on　the　ship　galled　his　pride　and　his　manhood。　He　muttered　indignantly；　〃The　white　feather！〃　This　eased　his　mind；　and　he　obeyed　orders　briskly　as　ever。　While　he　and　his　hands　were　setting　every　rag　the　ship　could　carry　on　that　tack；　the　other　officers　having　unluckily　no　orders　to　execute；　stood　gloomy　and　helpless；　with　their　eyes　glued；　by　a　sort　of　sombre　fascination；　on　that　coming　fate；　and　they　literally　jumped　and　jarred　when　Mrs。　Beresford；　her　heart　opened　by　the　lovely　day；　broke　in　on　their　nerves　with　her　light　treble。
  〃What　a　sweet　morning；　gentlemen！　After　all；　a　voyage　is　a　delightful　thing。　Oh；　what　a　splendid　sea！　and　the　very　breeze　is　warm。　Ah！　and　there's　a　little　ship　sailing　along：　here；　Freddy；　Freddy　darling；　leave　off　beating　the　sailor's　legs；　and　come　here　and　see　this　pretty　ship。　What　a　pity　it　is　so　far　off。　Ah！　ah！　what　is　that　dreadful　noise？〃
  For　her　horrible　small　talk；　that　grated　on　those　anxious　souls　like　the　mockery　of　some　infantine　fiend；　was　cut　short　by　ponderous　blows　and　tremendous　smashing　below。　It　was　the　captain　staving　in　water…casks：　the　water　poured　out　at　the　scuppers。
  〃Clearing　the　lee　guns；〃　said　a　middy；　off　his　guard。
  Colonel　Kenealy　pricked　up　his　ears；　drew　his　cigar　from　his　mouth；　and　smelt　powder　〃What；　for　action　？〃　said　he　briskly。　〃Where's　the　enemy？〃
  Fullalove　made　him　a　signal；　and　they　went　below。
  Mrs。　Beresford　had　not　heard　or　not　appreciated　the　remark：　she　prattled　on　till　she　made　the　mates　and　midshipmen　shudder。
  Realise　the　situation；　and　the　strange　incongruity　between　the　senses　and　the　mind　in　these　poor　fellows！　The　day　had　ripened　its　beauty；　beneath　a　purple　heaven　shone；　sparkled；　and　laughed　a　blue　sea；　in　whose　waves　the　tropical　sun　seemed　to　have　fused　his　beams；　and　beneath　that　fair；　sinless；　peaceful　sky；　wafted　by　a　balmy　breeze　over　those　smiling；　transparent；　golden　waves；　a　bloodthirsty　Pirate　bore　down　on　them　with　a　crew　of　human　tigers；　and　a　lady　babble　babble　babble　babble　babble　babble　babbled　in　their　quivering　ears。
  But　now　the　captain　came　bustling　on　deck；　eyed　the　loftier　sails；　saw　they　were　drawing　well；　appointed　four　midshipmen　a　staff　to　convey　his　orders：　gave　Bayliss　charge　of　the　carronades；　Grey　of　the　cutlasses；　and　directed　Mr。　Tickell　to　break　the　bad　news　gently　to　Mrs。　Beresford；　and　to　take　her　below　to　the　orlop　deck；　ordered　the　purser　to　serve　out　beet　biscuit；　and　grog　to　all　hands；　saying；　〃Men　can't　work　on　an　empty　stomach：　and　fighting　is　hard　work；〃　then　beckoned　the　officers　to　come　round　him。　〃Gentlemen；〃　said　he；　confidentially；　〃in　crowding　sail　on　this　ship　I　had　no　hope　of　escaping　that　fellow　on　this　tack；　but　I　was；　and　am；　most　anxious　to　gain　the　open　sea；　where　I　can　square　my　yards　and　run　for　it；　if　I　see　a　chance。　At　present　I　shall　carry　on　till　he　comes　within　range：　and　then；　to　keep　the　Company's　canvas　from　being　shot　to　rags；　I　shall　shorten　sail；　and　to　save　ship　and　cargo　and　all　our　lives；　I　shall　fight　while　a　plank　of　her　swims。　Better　be　killed　in　hot　blood　than　walk　the　plank　in　cold。〃
  The　officers　cheered　faintly；　the　captain's　dogged　resolu